12 Last-Minute Holiday Tips for Ecommerce Sellers

The holidays are upon us and it’s crunch time for ecommerce sellers. But there are still things you can do to boost sales and satisfy your customers for an even more profitable holiday season. We put together a list of 12 last-minute holiday selling tips to add more cheer to your bottom line. Below are some holiday selling tips that will boost your sells and lead you to success.

#1 Give Your Website a Holiday Makeover

Even small changes can make a difference to your customers. A temporary seasonal makeover will add holiday cheer and encourage your customers to shop more. Try adding some snowflakes, holly, or other festive decorations. While you’re at it, add a banner announcing holidays deals or specials.

#2 Know Your Top Categories

Make sure that you know what your best-sellers and top categories are, and stay on top of your inventory management. Now is not the time to have to deal with unexpected stocks outs or oversells. There is nothing more disappointing to customers than to see a “Temporarily Out of Stock” message on their desired items.

#3 Add a Countdown Timer

A countdown until the holiday (or until a special or sale ends) adds fun and urgency to your customers’ buying. Timers are quick and easy to add and they might just net you more sales. TickCounter is one of many websites that allows you to create an embeddable countdown for your website.

#4 Offer Shipping Discounts

At this time of the year, customers are looking for the best possible deals. Discounted or free shipping will make them choose your store over a competitor who isn’t offering discounted shipping. If taking a hit on shipping is a concern, try offering free shipping on purchases over a certain dollar amount. This strategy often works to get customers to buy more. We recently shared some tips for offering free shipping with our friends at Stamps.com.

#5 Run Limited Time Offers

Holiday selling is a great time for flash sales. Limited time offers create urgency and encourage customers to buy. Try using this tactic on slow-moving items as well as some from your best-seller list. By following these holiday selling tips you’ll likely increase your items sold, and you may be able to keep those slow-moving products from gathering dust.

#6 Upsell Everything

When your customers add an item to their shopping cart, make sure that your site shows them other related items. You can also add bundling to your products, so that when a customer adds an item to their cart or wish list, they are offered a bundle of products that contains their desired item. Use your ecommerce reporting software or QuickBooks Online to find out which of your most popular items are often purchased together.

#7 Create Last-Minute Gift Guides

Creating inspirational buying or gift guides is a great way to catch a customer’s attention. Think in terms of things like “Top 25 Gifts for Dad,” or “Best Holiday Gifts Under $50,” and you will draw your customers in. Make sure that the guides are interactive and that your customers can buy directly from those pages. This will maximize conversion rates from shoppers landing on your page from search engines.

#8 Give Abandoned Carts Some Attention

Now is the time to really pay attention to abandoned shopping carts. The customer is clearly interested in your product, but chose not to complete the sale for some reason. Try sending them emails with a special offer on shipping to complete the sale. Often times, a little bit of incentive goes a long way in converting sales.

#9 Offer Special Promos to Loyal Customers

The holiday season is the perfect time to reward your loyal customers with deals that you’re not offering everyone. The gift of discount codes or free shipping is a great reward, and an enticement to shop more. Your social media channels are a good place to find your loyal customers. If they follow you on social media, you can reasonably assume they’re a fan of your brand. Post an exclusive promo code to Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram to let your most loyal customers know you appreciate their support.

#10 Highlight Deals on Social Media

Speaking of social media, make sure that your followers know what you are offering this holiday season by highlighting your new products across your channels. It’s a way to advertise your gift guides, limited-time offers, and shipping discounts as well.

#11 Take Advantage of Email Marketing

Be sure to reach out to your customers via email with your holiday marketing. If possible, segment your email list to specific customer groups. For example, send an email to customers who have recently purchased products from your store, another to customers who haven’t purchased for a while, and another to customers who live in areas where you can ship quickly. Whatever way you break down your customer base, try to make the emails personal and relevant to increase the chances of conversion.

#12 Offer Incentives for Shopping in January

Last of these holiday selling tips, you want to be able to start of 2017 successfully no matter how much you sell this holiday season. Offer customers incentives for continuing to shop after the New Year. You can do this by offering discount codes for dollars off that can only be used in the month of January. Just be sure that you contact those customers with a reminder to use codes after the holidays over, so they don’t forget when all the excitement settles down. By following these holiday selling tips you’ll be a pro in no time.

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About the Author

Jami

Jami is a blogger for ecomdash. She is an advocate for mental health awareness and addiction recovery, drinks her weight in caffeine every day, and has a deep affection for fine-point pens.